Upright trusses or frames, commonly-known as "walkers" are often used to provide assistance for individuals who need assistance walking from place to place. These "walker" devices are typically used by individuals who do not need a wheelchair, but for whom the support provided by a cane is insufficient.
Walkers are usually three-sided, substantially-rectangular upright frames that allow an individual to maintain balance, while using both arms to help support his weight. Due to their three-sided nature, walkers not only provide support, they also help steady individuals who use them.
Although crutches are also available, crutches do not typically help steady those who use them. While crutches provide a certain amount of support, successful use of crutches requires a degree of balance and strength not possessed by all patients. As a result, many individuals find a walker to be a more comfortable and safe alternative.
However, for some individuals, although a wheelchair is not necessary, a conventional walker does not provide enough support. For example, individuals who have below-the-knee injuries may wish to use a walker instead of crutches or a wheelchair. However, conventional walkers do not allow the individual to remove weight from the injury or injuries. Several leg and knee supporting devices have been developed expressly for use by individuals who must remove weight from a portion of one leg. Many of these devices supplement existing walkers, either as add-on pieces or as original equipment included during manufacture.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,596,668 discloses a padded tray that removably hooks onto crossbars of an existing walker. The reference discloses separate pads, one to support a left leg and one to support a right leg. The pad height is not adjustable and one pad cannot be transferred from one side to the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,722,356 discloses a knee pad attachment for use with a walker. The '356 attachment includes a height-adjustable support pad. And the pad pivots to support either a right leg or a left leg. However, the '356 pad is adjusted by loosening a pivoting central sleeve. Locking the pad in place requires hand strength that may not be possessed by all who might use the device. If the '356 device were used without being properly secured, the pad could swing about presenting a hazardous, unstable situation. Even if the '356 pad were properly secured initially, the pad could work dangerously-loose with continued loading and unloading. Ironically, the '356 device may eliminate one problem only to create another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,798 presents a walker having an adjustable knee rest. The rest may be moved from one side to another, and the height may also be adjusted. Although the '798 device may be used to accommodate both legs, tools are required to switch from one to the other. Additionally, extra bolt holes must be drilled to use the rest on an existing walker. The need to drill extra holes may make the '798 device unusable for individuals who are renting a walker, those who do not have access to drilling tools, and those who lack the mechanical inclination or dexterity necessary to drill such holes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,909 discloses an adjustable walker leg support device. The '909 device presents a leg support that is highly-adjustable, allowing for changes in support angle and overall height. The '909 is designed to be attached at a variety of locations within a given walker. However, the high degree of adjustability requires vigilance during installation. The high degree of complexity makes the '909 difficult to mount securely and adjust efficiently.
Thus, what is needed is a walker knee support that includes advantages of the known devices, while addressing the shortcomings they exhibit. The knee support should be simple to install and remove, while still permitting a high degree of adjustability. The device should be useable for either leg and be equally stable in either orientation. The device should be easy to install on both new walkers and existing walkers, requiring no tools or modifications to the walker. The device also should include not only an attachment assembly that connects the device to a walker, but also a bracing assembly that fixes the device in a selected orientation within the walker, once the device is attached. The device should also not interfere with original adjustment capabilities of an existing walker, including overall walker height adjustment and walker folding capabilities. The device should also securely hold detached walker leg lower portions, so that the lower portions are readily available for reattachment when the device is no longer to be used.